1992 "Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation" for contributions to and enthusiastic promotion of the study of movement
and dispersal of biota by atmospheric processes. North Central Regional Committee on Movement and Dispersal of Arthropods (NCR-148)

AREAS OF RESEARCH

Evolutionary Ecology of Therevidae; Phylogeny of the Asiloidea (Diptera)

Elucidating the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical patterns of the Therevidae and other families
of the Superfamily Asiloidea (Diptera: Brachycera) from a world perspective is a major research goal.
Through the use of morphological, geographical, genetic, behavioral, and ecological characteristics, I continue
to describe and model the historical relationships among these taxa.
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cee/therevid/index.html

Plant Virus Epidemiology

This behavioral and ecological research focuses on vector activity and the viruses they transmit. Understanding
the complex aspects of vector migration requires an intensive team approach. By exploring alternate tactics to
manage vectors and incorporating those into models that simulate plant virus epidemics, I am attempting to develop
more appropriate and sustainable control strategies.

Interchange of Biota between Agricultural and Wild Systems

Biotic movement between natural and agricultural systems in a landscape is an important factor in maintaining the
viability and sustainability of those systems. My interests lie in understanding how species and their genes flow
among systems, and how an understanding of this can contribute to the knowledge base underpinning the issues of
sustainability and biodiversity.

International Crop Protection and Soybean Pest Management

Generalized technologies for establishing pest management programs for soybeans in developing countries have been
assembled, including sampling plans, monitoring strategies, and establishing ecologically sound and environmentally
compatible methods for managing complexes of soybean pests. This technology has been transferred, at a
scientist-to-scientist level, in developing countries undertaking soybean cultivation. This program has expanded
into a broad-based effort to assist developing countries in the construction and execution of crop protection,
across crops and across protection disciplines.

Between 1985 and 1991, I served on the following committees: Committee on Integrated
Pest Management; Committee on Plant Disease Losses; Committee on Epidemiology; Ad hoc
committee on Epidemiology, International Congress of Plant Pathology

VISITING SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS

Over the course of my career, our lab attracted five scholars in residence, three postdoctoral researchers,
and hosted two internships. I directed nine PhD and twelve MS degree students; additionally, I served
on the committees of seven PhD and three MS degree students and was the primary advisor for four undergraduate
research honors students. I served as an external examiner for PhD dissertations in Australia and India.

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

1993-1995 Pest Management Strategies Subcommittee (PMSS) of the Experiment Station Committee on Operation and Policy
(ESCOP). Chair, Movement and Dispersal Working Group

1991 Working group chair to develop scope of work for a Collaborative Research Support Project on integrated crop protection,
Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), Joint Committee on Agricultural Research and Development

1988-1998 Urbana. US Agency for International Development Program in Science and Technology
Cooperation, ad hoc reviewer

1987 Peru. Lead international crop protection panel to develop agenda for Peruvian crop protection service,
SENAPIC, to resolve protection problems of major crops.

1985 Pakistan. Participate in a soybean production course in Islamabad.

1985-1986 Jamaica. Consult with Jamaica Soya Products Industries, Ltd. to help develop an integrated
pest management program for their use

1984-1987 Ecuador. Consult with the Integrated Crop Protection Commission set up by the Ministry of
Agriculture and help devise a strategy for acquiring Inter-American Development Bank monies to
develop a national plan for integrated crop protection and integrate these activities into the
Quevedo project underway involving IPM at the association of corn/soybean farmers to alleviate the
pressures of pests and the costs associated with excessive pesticide usage.

1983 Costa Rica. We initiated an AID/ROCAP project on integrated crop protection for Central America and developed
a Project Identification Document that was later expanded into a project.

1983 Honduras. Team member to help develop and improve the integrated pest management program of the Escuela
Agricola Panamericana, the agricultural school at El Zamerano, Honduras.

1982-1984 Peru. Team Leader for a feasibility study of Integrated Crop Protection for Peru. Consult with
INIPA on the development of the integrated crop protection. INIPA appointed a Commission to develop a
plan of action and I was the outside consultant to the Commission.

1979-1980 Costa Rica. Lecturer in the 4-week course General Principles of Integrated Control of Pest and
Diseases and follow up by reviewing the impact of the 1979 course on each participant and his/her
respective country's programs.

1978 Peru. Lecturer in the 6-week course on General Principles of Integrated Control of Pests and Diseases with
Emphasis on Maize and Soybean.

Binational Agricultural Research and Development Program (BARD)

2001-2002 Key West, Florida. United States Panel member to evaluate proposals in the area of plant
protection. Washington D.C.

1998 "The influence of the aerial dispersal of pests and diseases on the development and deployment of integrated pest
management strategies." Program Symposium of the Joint Entom. Soc. America/Amer. Phytopath. Soc. meeting, Las Vegas, NV

Irwin, M. E. 1991. The land use controversy: A resolvable dilemma. In R. L. Metcalf and S. B. Vinson, eds. Proceedings
of the Centennial Symposium of the Entomological Society of America: Emerging technologies and challenges, pp. 7-10.

Yeates, D. K. and M. E. Irwin. 1992. Three new species of Heterotropus Loew (Diptera: Bombyliidae) from South Africa with
descriptions of the immature stages and a discussion of the phylogenetic placement of the genus. American Museum Novitates. No. 3036, 25 pp.

Webb, D. W., and M. E. Irwin. 1991. A revision of the Nearctic species of Dialineura Rondani and Pallicephala Irwin and Lyneborg
(Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 93(4): 869-898.

Irwin, M. E., and J. M. Thresh. 1988. Long-range dispersal of cereal aphids as virus vectors in North America. Transactions of
the Royal Society of London B 321:421-446.

Irwin, M. E., and E. I. Schlinger. 1986. A gazetteer for the 1966-1967 University of California-Universidad de Chile arthropod
expedition to Chile and parts of Argentina. Occasional Papers of the Calif. Acad. Sci. 144:1-11.

Irwin, M. E. 1977. A new genus and species of stiletto-flies from southwestern North America with close affinities to Chilean
and Australian genera (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 53:287-296.

Irwin, M. E. 1977. Two new genera of the Pherocera-group from western North America, based on four new species, with observations
on habitats and behavior (Diptera: Therevidae: Phycinae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 79(3):422-451.

Irwin, M. E. 1976. Morphology of the terminalia and the known ovipositing behaviour of female Therevidae (Diptera: Asiloidea),
with an account of correlated adaptations and comments on phylogenetic relationships. Ann. Natal Mus. 22(3):913-935.

Irwin, M. E. 1972. Diagnoses and habitat preferences of the immature stages of three South African species of the Xestomyza-group
(Diptera: Therevidae). Ann. Natal Mus. 21:377-389.

Irwin, M. E., and B. R. Stuckenberg. 1972. A description of the female, egg and first-instar larvae of Tongamya miranda, with
notes on oviposition and the habitat of the species (Diptera: Apioceridae). Ann. Natal Mus. 21:439-453.